Belfast filmmaker Ross White had 'party with cat' after Oscar nomination
Belfast filmmaker Ross White has been nominated for an Oscar at just 27 years old for his short film "An Irish Goodbye".
He and his fellow Gloucestershire filmmaker Tom Berkeley said it was "a dream come true".
The short was filmed in Templepatrick in Northern Ireland and follows the journey of two estranged brothers following the untimely death of their mother.
The lead actors are Seamus O'Hara (known for his work in The Northman and Game of Thrones) and James Martin (Marcella, Ups and Downs).
Speaking to UTV's Eden Wilson, Ross said being nominated for an Oscar was "surreal".
"I was just in the house with my partner, Jess, and we went down and had a party with our cat to be honest," said Ross, laughing.
"I was on with my collaborator Tom Berkeley as well and we were just all going crazy.
"I WhatsApp-called the guys, the cast, Seamus O'Hara and James Martin, and so we were all going doolally," said Ross.
Last week, "An Irish Goodbye" was also nominated for a BAFTA.
"There is so much love and care that has gone into it from the cast and the crew, you know, short films are always such a labour of love and the whole team really got around this and really bought-in to what we were trying to do. That's really resonated I think with audiences," said Ross. Richard Williams from NI Screen said: "At the end of the day, everybody has heard of the Oscars. They have by far the greatest currency in the screen industry and in terms of launching careers both in front of and behind the camera, there's nothing more powerful."
The Oscars ceremony will be held on 12 March at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
"An Irish Goodbye" is just one of 14 nominations in Irish film, with Martin McDonagh's "The Banshees of Inisherin" receiving nine nominations, while Irish language film "A Quiet Girl" was nominated for Best International Feature.
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